Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 238 / Wednesday, December 13, 2023 / Notices 86443 

email at DEDcomments@

lastchancegrade.com, or via USPS letter 

to P.O. Box 3700, Eureka, CA 95502– 

3700 with Attention to Steve Croteau, 

Senior Environmental Scientist. 

To request the Draft EIR/EIS in 

alternative formats or alternative 

language translation services, please call 

or leave a voicemail message with Myles 

Cochrane, Public Information Officer, at 

(707) 498–4272. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIR/EIS is 

available for review on the project 

website, www.lastchancegrade.com, and 

at the following locations: 

• California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans) District 1 

Office, 1656 Union Street, Eureka, CA 

95501 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 

• Main Library—Crescent City 

Branch, 190 Price Mall, Crescent City, 

CA 95531. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jaime Matteoli, Project Manager, 

Caltrans District 1, P.O. Box 3700, 

Eureka, CA 95502–3700, telephone 707– 

498–0961, or email jaime.matteoli@

dot.ca.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective 

July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, and 

Caltrans assumed, environmental 

responsibilities for this project pursuant 

to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the 

assigned National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) agency and CEQA lead 

agency, prepared a joint Draft EIR/EIS 

on a proposal for improvements along a 

portion of U.S. Highway 101 (U.S. 101) 

in Del Norte County, California known 

as ‘‘Last Chance Grade’’. 

Last Chance Grade is the 3.5-milelong section of U.S. 101 (post miles 

[PMs] 12.7 to 16.5) located 

approximately 10 miles south of 

Crescent City. The project area is almost 

entirely within portions of Redwood 

National and State Parks. 

The project would realign the 

highway in response to landslide and 

roadway failures which have caused 

damage for decades. The purpose of the 

project is to: 

• Provide a more reliable connection. 

• Reduce maintenance costs. 

• Protect the economy, natural 

resources, and cultural resources. 

Last Chance Grade is located in an 

area of geologic instability; there is a 

landslide complex that is approximately 

3 miles long with more than 30 active 

landslides. This instability has required 

significant expenditures of tax dollars 

on emergency construction projects and 

maintenance activities to keep the 

highway open and safe. Between 1997 

and 2021, landslide mitigation efforts, 

including retaining walls, drainage 

improvements, and roadway repairs, 

cost more than $85 million. There is no 

foreseeable end to such expenditures, 

and effects of climate change may 

exacerbate conditions. A long-term 

sustainable solution at Last Chance 

Grade is needed to address: 

• Economic ramifications of a longterm failure and closure. 

• Risk of delay/detour to traveling 

public. 

• Increasing maintenance and 

emergency project costs. 

• Increase in frequency and severity 

of large storm events caused by climate 

change. 

Over the past several years, with 

input from numerous project partners, 

Caltrans has considered multiple 

alignment alternatives in seeking a longterm feasible and sustainable solution 

suitable for the unique geologic and 

natural features of the project area. As 

a result of these past alternatives 

screening processes, Caltrans has 

elected to move forward with the 

environmental review of two action 

alternatives. The Draft EIR/EIS evaluates 

either taking no action (No-Build 

Alternative) or proceeding with one of 

the two build alternatives (X and F). 

Alternative X would involve 

reengineering and partially realigning a 

1.6-mile-long section of the existing 

highway to minimize the risk of 

landslides. Main project components 

would include 1.6 miles of retaining 

walls along the roadway, an 

underground drainage system to help 

reduce landslide risk by capturing 

groundwater, and strategic eastward 

retreats from the existing roadway. 

Alternative F would involve 

constructing a 1.1-mile-long tunnel east 

of the existing highway to avoid the 

most intense areas of known landslides 

and geologic instability. Main 

components would include a tunnel and 

associated portals, a bridge from the 

northern portal to reconnect to existing 

U.S. 101, and an on-site Operations and 

Maintenance Center (OMC) for tunnel 

support. 

Notifications describing the proposed 

action and soliciting comments will be 

sent to the appropriate federal, state, 

participating agencies, tribal 

governments, and local agencies, and to 

private organizations and citizens who 

have previously expressed or are known 

to have interest in this proposal. 

To ensure interested parties have the 

opportunity to comment and provide 

suggestions on the full range of potential 

issues related to this proposed action, 

the Draft EIR/EIS will be available for 

public and agency review and comment 

over a 60-day circulation period, 

starting on December 15, 2023. Caltrans 

will respond in the Final EIR/EIS 

(expected in winter 2025) to all the 

public comments received in writing 

during the public comment period. 

Following circulation for public 

review and consideration of comments 

received, Caltrans will issue a combined 

Final EIR/EIS and Record of Decision 

document unless statutory criteria or 

practicability considerations preclude 

such issuance. 

Comments or questions concerning 

this proposed action and the Draft EIR/ 

EIS should be directed to Caltrans at the 

address indicated above (under Further 

Information). 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Antonio Johnson, 

Director of Planning, Environment and Right 

of Way, Federal Highway Administration, 

California Division. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27287 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2023–0002–N–40] 

Proposed Agency Information 

Collection Activities; Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 

implementing regulations, this notice 

announces that FRA is forwarding the 

Information Collection Request (ICR) 

summarized below to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and comment. The ICR describes 

the information collection and its 

expected burden. On October 2, 2023, 

FRA published a notice providing a 60- 

day period for public comment on the 

ICR. FRA received no comments in 

response to the notice. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before January 

12, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed ICR 

should be sent within 30 days of 

publication of this notice to 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Find the particular ICR by selecting 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
86444 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 238 / Wednesday, December 13, 2023 / Notices 

‘‘Currently under Review—Open for 

Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Joanne Swafford, Information Collection 

Clearance Officer, at email: 

joanne.swafford@dot.gov or telephone: 

(757) 897–9908 or arlette.mussington@

dot.gov or telephone: (571) 609–1285. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 

44 U.S.C. 3501–3520, and its 

implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 

1320, require Federal agencies to issue 

two notices seeking public comment on 

information collection activities before 

OMB may approve paperwork packages. 

See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 

through 1320.12. On October 2, 2023, 

FRA published a 60-day notice in the 

Federal Register soliciting public 

comment on the ICR for which it is now 

seeking OMB approval. See 88 FR 

67865. FRA received no comments 

related to the proposed collection of 

information. 

Before OMB decides whether to 

approve the proposed collection of 

information, it must provide 30 days for 

public comment. Federal law requires 

OMB to approve or disapprove 

paperwork packages between 30 and 60 

days after the 30-day notice is 

published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)–(c); 5 CFR 

1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983 

Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes the 30-day 

notice informs the regulated community 

to file relevant comments and affords 

the agency adequate time to digest 

public comments before it renders a 

decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. 

Therefore, respondents should submit 

their respective comments to OMB 

within 30 days of publication to best 

ensure having their full effect. 

Comments are invited on the 

following ICR regarding: (1) Whether the 

information collection activities are 

necessary for FRA to properly execute 

its functions, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) the accuracy of FRA’s estimates of 

the burden of the information collection 

activities, including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used to 

determine the estimates; (3) ways for 

FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information being 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of information collection 

activities on the public, including the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

The summary below describes the ICR 

that FRA will submit for OMB clearance 

as the PRA requires: 

Title: Railroad Safety Appliance 

Standards. 

OMB Control Number: 2130–0594. 

Abstract: The information collection 

associated with 49 CFR part 231 is used 

by FRA to promote and enhance the safe 

placement and securement of safety 

appliances on newly constructed rail 

vehicles. The regulation provides a 

process for railroads or car owners to 

submit requests for the approval of 

existing industry standards for safety 

appliance arrangements on newly 

constructed railroad cars, locomotives, 

tenders, or other rail vehicles in lieu of 

the specific arrangements in part 231. 

Type of Request: Extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection. 

Affected Public: Businesses 

(Railroads). 

Form(s): N/A. 

Respondent Universe: 765 railroads. 

Frequency of Submission: On 

occasion. 

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 6. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 37 

hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour 

Dollar Cost Equivalent: $3,179. 

FRA informs all interested parties that 

it may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

respondent is not required to respond 

to, a collection of information that does 

not display a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. 

Christopher S. Van Nostrand, 

Acting Deputy Chief Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27314 Filed 12–12–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

[DOT–OST–2023–0137] 

Advisory Committee on Transportation 

Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public 

Meeting 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: DOT OST announces a 

meeting of ACTE, which will take place 

via Zoom Webinar. 

DATES: The meeting will be held Friday, 

January 5, 2023, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

Eastern Time. Requests for 

accommodations because of a disability 

must be received by Friday, December 

22. Requests to submit questions must 

be received no later than Friday, 

December 22. The registration form will 

close on Thursday, January 4. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held 

via Zoom. Those members of the public 

who would like to participate virtually 

should go to https://

www.transportation.gov/mission/civilrights/advisory-committeetransportation-equity-meetingsmaterials to access the meeting, a 

detailed agenda for the entire meeting, 

meeting minutes, and additional 

information on ACTE and its activities. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sandra Norman, Senior Advisor and 

Designated Federal Officer, 

Departmental Office of Civil Rights, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 

20590, (804) 836–2893, ACTE@dot.gov. 

Any ACTE-related request or 

submissions should be sent via email to 

the point of contact listed above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Purpose of the Committee 

ACTE was established to provide 

independent advice and 

recommendations to the Secretary of 

Transportation about comprehensive, 

interdisciplinary issues related to civil 

rights and transportation equity in the 

planning, design, research, policy, and 

advocacy contexts from a variety of 

transportation equity practitioners and 

community leaders. Specifically, the 

Committee will provide advice and 

recommendations to inform the 

Department’s efforts to: 

Implement the Agency’s Equity 

Action Plan and Strategic Plan, helping 

to institutionalize equity into Agency 

programs, policies, regulations, and 

activities; 

Strengthen and establish partnerships 

with overburdened and underserved 

communities who have been historically 

underrepresented in the Department’s 

outreach and engagement, including 

those in rural and urban areas; 

Empower communities to have a 

meaningful voice in local and regional 

transportation decisions; and 

Ensure the compliance of Federal 

funding recipients with civil rights laws 

and nondiscrimination programs, 

policies, regulations, and activities. 

Meeting Agenda 

The agenda for the meeting will 

consist of: 

Opening remarks 

ACTE Community Check-In 

Brief discussion of ACTE standards 

Review of Department updates 

Discussion of ACTE rolling 

recommendations 

Open discussion with the public and 

Committee members 

Discussion on guidance for the next 

round of rolling recommendations 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES